


Still Intertwined

by fauchevalent



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: 'how many rilaya works can i write', Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, anything else...... oh, high school juniors, this is a massively fun au i wrote bc soulmate au's are crazy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 10:12:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5536031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fauchevalent/pseuds/fauchevalent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riley nods, mute. She knows what the girl said, because she's been looking at the words for seventeen years. Her ankle tingles long after the words have been spoken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet-Cute

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own GMW!

They're at  _Topanga's,_ which kind of seems like a weird place to have a party until you realize Topanga's has a readily available kitchen and much more seating then the Matthews house while still remaining free. So it's a win-win. Win.  
It's another one of the parties that seemingly has no purpose - it's got something to do with finding Riley and Auggie's soulmates, probably, but if  _Riley_ was  _her soulmate_ , her dad would be enough to scare her off.  
She supposes that's the idea, that maybe her dad thinks he can somehow affect fate by intervening before almost every meeting Riley has. It's sweet, honestly. Overbearing, but sweet. He even used to manage to edge in before quite a few of her introductions at school, which, Riley has to admit, was just impressive.  
"Riley, come here," her mom calls, and her dad gives her mom a thankful smile that tells Riley he's interrogating yet another possibility and doesn't want her in on it. "Coming, mom."

Her mother is carrying an armload of boxes, and there's some on the table next to her. Her sleeves are rolled up, and Riley can catch the edge of her mother's scrawling soulmate text. She smiles at the words, sneaking a peek back at her dad for good measure.   
( He's currently interrogating a tall, blonde boy who Riley thinks she recognizes from school. Lucas, maybe? All she can see is his butt. If it is Lucas, jokes on her dad - they were bio partners last semester, and his first words to Riley were  _can I get that for you_ , which, sadly, were not the magic words. )  
"Riley, will you take these boxes back into the kitchen for me?"  
Riley considers a  _but mom,_ but thinks better of it and scoops up an armload of boxes. "Thanks!" Her mother calls from behind her own stack, jogging back to the kitchen. "Sure!" 

The boxes are awfully tall. Riley's a little bit worried she'll run headfirst into a wall, even though she's hyperaware of her movements  _and_ the way to the kitchen.  
Thankfully, Riley makes it ( safely ) all the way back, letting out a sigh of relief as she stacks the boxes on the table before turning sharply on her heel and starting out of the kitchen.  
She makes it maybe an inch before she smacks head on into something. Someone? Definitely someone. Said someone is now on the floor, along with Riley, quirking an eyebrow at her. "You alright there, honey?" The someone asks, and Riley becomes completely still. "Hey. You okay there?" The girl repeats, and Riley nods, mute. She knows what the girl said, because she's been looking at the words for seventeen years. Her ankle tingles long after the words have been spoken. "I'm great - fresh as a daisy. Bumbling as a bumblebee. All that jazz." She babbles, and the blonde stills for a moment, recovering in time to shoot back, "Well, you certainly are something." Riley sees the blonde reach behind her back to rub subconsciously at her shoulder, and Riley bites her lip. She'd always known words were in a different place for everyone, but something about her words being written across this girl's back makes her feel sort of special. Like she earned her place on this girl's body. Or, at least, she wants to.

Riley's face twists into something like an apology, and the blonde cuts her off before she can start. "Hey, no need, alright? You were, uh,  _bumbling as a bumblebee_ , right?"  
Riley flushes bright red.  
It occurs to her that they're both still on the floor, so she pulls herself up, and offers a hand to the girl. "Need some help?" She asks, willing her face to cool down. It doesn't work, especially once the blonde girl slips her hand into Riley's and holds tightly to gain leverage and get standing. "Um, Riley. Riley Matthews."  
"As in Mr. Matthews' kid?" The blonde asks, and Riley finally laughs again. "Yeah, he's out there interrogating people he thinks might be my soulmate."  
"Well," The girl says, and Riley notices their hands are still intertwined, "I hate to ruin your dad's day, but it seems you're pretty good at finding people yourself." The girl smiles and Riley smiles back - she can't help it. "Yeah. I guess I am." She mumbles.  
"Oh, uh - Maya. Maya Hart."  
"Nice to meet you, Maya." Riley says, dipping into a tiny bow.  
"You too, Riles."  
Riley melts a little bit. ( Is that possible? She considers asking her mom if melting is a thing you can do if you stare at someone for too long, or listen to them talk for too many hours. Well, Riley's always been a romantic. )

"So, is it time for me to meet your folks?" Maya asks, like they didn't just meet, and this isn't the craziest thing either of them has ever done. "Um. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Is that how it works?"  
"Well," Maya hums, "I think you show me yours. And I show you mine."  
Riley blushes. She gets the feeling that's going to be a consistent thing with Maya. "Your f - your parents are here?"  
"My mom, she works here. Katy Hart." Maya smiles a little bit. "My dad is a loose construct." She jokes, and Riley frowns. "Oh. I'm sorry."  
"It's fine. I have my mom, and uh - I guess I have soulmate parents too now, is that how that works?"   
Riley grins. "Anytime you want my parents, they're always available to be overbearing and teach life lessons."  
"I'm holding you to that."


	2. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And are you happy to have found me first?" Maya looks up at her from under her eyelashes, and Riley wants to play this game, she really does, but her parents are coming back any minute now, so she has to settle with, "Of course I am, peaches."   
> "We're really stickin' with peaches, huh?"  
> "Definitely. Suits you." Riley teases, no further explanation needed in her book, bending down a few inches to kiss Maya on the cheek. And there's the only move Riley can use, because here come her parents. She tightens her grip on Maya, daring a glance in her direction.  
> Maya is pink in the cheeks, eyes cast to the floor, and Riley is grinning because she only had one move but damn did it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't own GMW! Also I couldn't find/remember a middle name for Riley, so I went with Rowan's middle name, Eleanor. If there is a canonical middle name, my apologies!

"No, Auggie, you cannot have any more cookies -" Riley's mom is saying as Riley and Maya head back out to the guests. "Well,  _there you are_ , Riley - your father and I thought we lost you."   
Riley sees her eyes land on Maya, then slide slowly back over to Riley.  
She realizes their hands are still intertwined and blushes a little bit again, which is really all the hint her mother needs.

"Riley Eleanor Matthews!" She chastises, but there's a humongous grin on her face, and she's not really yelling so much as becoming the human embodiment of happiness.  
Riley peeks out of the corner of her eye at Maya, who's biting her lip in what Riley can only imagine is an attempt not to grin.   
"And  _who might this be_ ," her mother asks, even though she clearly already knows the answer. "This is - "  
" - Maya. Maya Hart."   
"I knew I recognized you from somewhere. Your mother is so terrific,"

Riley is studiously avoiding her mother's gaze while she chats with Maya, because  _somehow_ , Riley has evaded Maya for all these years. Not only does Maya's mother work at Topanga's; she's the acting manager;  _and_ in addition to all that, Maya also went to John Quincy Adams Middle School;  _and_ she currently goes to the same high school as Riley.  
Riley can't help but feel a little terrible.   
She tunes back in right as Maya is nodding and saying, "Yes, Mrs. Matthews, she seems terrific." and her mother is saying, "Oh, I should go get your father. I wouldn't want to miss his face." 

As soon as she disappears to find Riley's dad, Maya looks up at Riley, a little bit of nervousness clear in her eyes. "What does she mean, she wouldn't want to miss his face?"  
"Oh, just, my dad's gonna flip."  
Maya is closing in on herself, and Riley squeezes her hand. "Hey, hey - come back to me, peaches."  
"If I was any less nervous I'd probably be asking why peaches, but you're lucky I'm out of it." Maya murmurs, and Riley chuckles. "Oh, I'll come up with an explanation."  
"I'm sure you will." Maya seems to remember why she's nervous, speaking up again with, "Why's he gonna flip?"  
"Because I found you, and he didn't." Riley says matter-of-factly, and Maya brightens. "O -  _oh._ " She lets a lopsided grin drop across her face. "And are  _you_ happy to have found me first?" Maya looks up at her from under her eyelashes, and Riley wants to play this game, she really does, but her parents are coming back any minute now, so she has to settle with, "Of course I am, peaches."   
"We're really stickin' with peaches, huh?"  
"Definitely. Suits you." Riley teases, no further explanation needed in her book, bending down a few inches to kiss Maya on the cheek. And there's the only move Riley can use, because here come her parents. She tightens her grip on Maya, daring a glance in her direction.  
Maya is pink in the cheeks, eyes cast to the floor, and Riley is grinning because she only had one move but  _damn did it work_.

"You know, Riley, your mother says I just  _have_ to meet someone." Her dad says, turning the corner with an overdramatic sigh.   
"Is that so?" Riley asks, "I couldn't imagine why it would be so important."  
"You know, I don't know. She wouldn't tell me."  
"Bummer."  
Maya's eyes are back up now, staring straight at Riley's parents, and her mouth curves into a tiny smile. "While I do love this banter," Maya pipes up, "I have to confess that Mrs. Matthews dragged you back here for me." Riley shrugs innocently as her father tries to size her up, gage her reaction. "Hm. Is that it?" Riley asks aloud, and her mother grins. "Could be." She adds, and Riley's dad holds up his hands in mock surrender.   
"I admit it, your mother outsmarted me. There, do I win now?"  
Riley shakes her head.  
"I'm sorry, defeat was  _not_ what we were looking for."  
Her dad shrugs. "Worth a shot." He tells Maya, and Maya nods thoughtfully. "It had strong potential as an option," she agrees.  
"I like her." Riley's dad says, and Riley grins. "That's good."  
"Yeah, I'd be sorry if you didn't." Riley's mother admits.   
"Is she sticking around a while? Should I know you?"  
"I was in your class in middle school."   
"Oh! Maya Hart, that's right. How's your mother?"  
"She's doing good, thanks." Maya nods, and Riley groans and falls atop Maya - well, really, she's falling atop Maya's head, because of the height difference, but the effect is the same - with a huff. "How come everyone knew my soulmate before I did?" She mutters into Maya's hair, and Maya chuckles. "Sorry, honey. Them's the brakes." Riley's mother laughs quietly and her dad's ears perk up at the word  _soulmate_ because  _of course they do_.

"Soulmate?" For a minute, his eyebrows furrow in confusion, and Riley's got to give her mom credit, she really has the patience to wait this through. "Soulmate!" He finally yells. "Soulmates - you two -"   
"Mom, tell the man what he's won."  
Riley's mom laughs. "Well, it looks like we've won a lifetime supply of Miss Maya Hart." She says, holding back giggles.  
"Well, if you'll have me." Maya says, and Riley squeezes her hand tightly. "You're staying, alright?"

Maya smiles.  
"Well, if you're going to be so bossy about it..."


	3. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley can barely allow her fingers to touch the skin - it seems like marble, or porcelain, maybe, something beautiful in a museum that would be roped off with a DO NOT TOUCH sign. "It's beautiful." Riley murmurs, and Maya chuckles. "It's a little piece of you, honey. Of course it's beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't own GMW. Promise.

They still haven't kissed.  
It's been two months since Riley and Maya bumped into each other in the kitchen of  _Topanga's_ , and they have. Not. Kissed. Riley thinks she might explode.  
Maya's been the perfect gentleman, insisting on getting to know every detail about Riley - and, in turn, Riley has found out every detail about Maya.   
Except, of course, how her lips taste. How they feel when she presses them onto hers. Shit, the only reason Riley knows where Maya's words are is because she remembers the way Maya touched them when she said them aloud.  
But Riley is impatient.   
She tries to be patient, she doesn't want to rush anything - she knows Maya's father is absent even though he was her mother's soulmate, so it's hard for Maya to believe that every soulmate pair will last. She knows that the careful way Maya is crafting their relationship means she wants them to last, which means the world to Riley, honestly, it does. But... Riley is impatient. That's honestly all it comes down to. She wants to know everything about Maya too, she wants this to last and be beautiful, but she also wants all the things that haven't happened yet.

That's probably why, two months and fourteen days ( Riley has them marked on her calendar ) since they met, when the two girls are changing in Riley's room before they go out to dinner - Riley's parents are gone for the night, and Maya has convinced her, somehow, to let her take her on a date - Riley peeks.  
She'd say she didn't mean to, except that she definitely  _does_.   
Maya is mid motion, scooping the hair off her neck, and Riley spots it - the words. They're scrawled in tiny, neat handwriting along Maya's shoulder-blade, aligned right and broken up by line like a poem. Riley gasps quietly, and wanders across the room to Maya, letting her fingers fall on the letters.  
"Honey." Maya says, but not like she's objecting, more like she's.... accepting it. Riley can barely allow her fingers to touch the skin - it seems like marble, or porcelain, maybe, something beautiful in a museum that would be roped off with a DO NOT TOUCH sign. "It's beautiful." Riley murmurs, and Maya chuckles. "It's a little piece of you, honey. Of course it's beautiful."   
Between Riley's little sneak peek and her touching Maya's back, somehow, Maya managed to put on a bra. When she turns around, taking Riley's hand from her skin, she swiftly pulls a shirt over her head - it has cutouts along the back that, for the first time, put Maya's words in full view. Riley grins. "Peaches..."   
"I showed you mine. Now you show me yours. That's how it works, isn't it?" Maya asks, her voice quiet and her smile small. "Depends." Riley teases. "Can you guess where they are?"  
Maya knows everything about Riley. She knows that her words are wrapped around her ankle. But, nonetheless, her smile becomes a smirk and she touches two fingers to Riley's neck. "Well, it isn't here." She reaches her fingers to Riley's arm. "Or here."  
Riley is beginning to grin herself, and she takes Maya's hand in hers. "Do you need some help?"  
"Maybe we can find them together." Maya says thoughtfully, pressing her fingers against Riley's hip, then the small of her back. "No. Nope."   
Riley hums softly and moves their hands to her thigh. "Are we getting closer, soulmate word detector?"  
"We're getting warmer," Maya confirms, and there's heat rising in both their cheeks - Maya quickly moves to reach for Riley's calf and huffs. "I can't reach it."  
"Do you need some more help?" Riley asks, and Maya nods, pitifully waving her hand toward Riley's feet.   
With a burst of courage, Riley pushes Maya onto the bed, rolling over with open arms beside her. "Was that helpful?" She asks innocently, and Maya bites her lip. "Depends on your definition of helpful."  
"Well, are you going to take my help?" Riley asks, still sprawled out beside Maya. Maya turns pink and pushes herself on top of Riley, raising an eyebrow. "You little minx. I'll take your help." Maya chuckles, scooting down to Riley's ankles instead of taking the bait. She finds the words and goes still, mumbling, "Oh."   
"You alright down there?"  
"I just... I never thought about how it would be  _my words_ , you know? My words, marking your body forever. My words that you grew up staring down at, wondering when some handsome guy was gonna come along and then... you got me." Her voice goes soft on the last few words, and Riley's heart aches. "Maya, come here." she says, sitting up and tapping the bed beside her. Maya obliges, and immediately, Riley takes her face with both hands, pressing a kiss to Maya's lips. When Riley pulls back, Maya makes a soft noise of confusion. "What was that for?"  
"Maya Penelope Hart, if you ever think that you are a letdown for me, I want you to come find me so I can knock some sense into you."  
"But - "  
" _Maya._ That was the first time I got to kiss you - do you really think I'd kiss you if I  _didn't want to_? No. I wasn't waiting for some handsome guy, peaches. I was waiting for you. You're right there on my ankle if you ever forget it."  
Maya grins and kisses Riley again, leaning her forehead against Riley's when they break apart.   
"What was  _that_ for?" Riley parrots, and Maya's eyes are full of light.  
"No one's ever  _gotten_ to kiss me before."


	4. Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I don't know where my mind was, peaches..." Riley trails off and Maya mumbles, "you have a really nice stomach," which:  
> a ) is totally not what Riley expected to hear, and  
> b ) causes Riley's hands to fall to her stomach in embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own GMW! You guys asked for this chapter, so here it is. ( Thanks for all the lovely comments! This is my first run at a GMW story and I'm glad it's so well-liked! )

_Yes_ , she is singing, loudly, to herself, in her kitchen.  
 _Yes_ , she is making cupcakes ( though it's turning into more of a dance along to the song bursting from her speakers and a general mess of ingredients thinly coating the countertop and Riley ).

"Got lightning in a bottle, hands on the throttle, even in the dust we shi _iii_ ne! With fire & gold in our e _eeeee_ yes!"

She's sort of abandoned the cupcakes for the time being - they're not in the oven yet, just sitting atop the stove, in all their pink glory. Mid-song sequence, Riley reaches for the can of frosting and a spoon, starting in on it before she even bakes the cupcakes.  _Oh yeah_. The cupcakes.   
She rushes through setting the timer and shoving them in the oven, and she's coming up on a line that she feels really needs more life than just singing along, so Riley uses her spoon as a makeshift microphone. "I believe in me and you _uuuu_! Oh baby, we were born with fi _iiiii_ re and go _ooooo_ ld in our e _eeeeee_ yes!"   
In fact, Riley is  _feeling_ the song  _so deeply_ that she doesn't realize she's dropped an entire glob of frosting onto her pajama shirt until the end of the song, when she peers down and finds it, smack in the middle of the smiley face on her stomach. "Oh." She hums, too happy to care, depositing her shirt in the laundry with a twirl.   
She's so out of it still that it takes her half a second to realize that leaves her in her kitchen in her underwear and a pair socks, and that she needs to replace her shirt.  
Oops.  
Riley reaches for a nearby shirt, shaking it out to find out whose it is.

It's Maya's. Or, rather, it's Riley's. Or is it still Maya's? Riley isn't sure. Maya had given it to her one day just as something to change into after she may or may not have spilled paint all over hers - Riley still maintains it wasn't her fault. She was just being artistic, and her dance was  _very artistic_ , thank you very much, and someone just left a puddle of water on the art room floor. So she'd tripped, and that was that.  
( Okay, so it  _may_ have been Riley's fault that the paint was  _open_ , but  _still_... )  
Riley grins to herself and drapes the flannel over her shoulders, and just as she decides to get back to her frosting adventures, there's a knock at the door.

It's always the neighbors, dropping off mail that was meant to go to the Matthews. So she heaves an overdramatic sigh and hugs the flannel around her, opening the door just slightly ( she's not worried they'll see anything. Besides, hopefully, the mail is a quick endeavor ).

"Uh, Riles?"

Oh.  
Oh.  
So not the mail, Riley thinks, looking at Maya for a few seconds before she remembers to say, "Hey, Maya! You're... here..."  
"I am. You're very observant, honey." Maya intones, and then, with not even a moment for Riley to recover, she adds, "Is that my flannel?"  
"Oh. Yeah, it is." Riley hums, looking down at the shirt and poking at it. "Uh... do you wanna come in?" She asks, and Maya chuckles. "Sure." Maya replies, offhandedly, as if that isn't what she'd meant to do by coming here, but it's still alright.

Riley backs up to allow Maya into the Matthews' house, and it's only about a half a second later, when Maya's eyes widen and she murmurs "oh my god," that Riley remembers her attire ( or lack thereof ).  
"Oh my god." Maya repeats, and Riley parrots similar sentiments with a, "Oh crap."  
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I don't know where my mind was, peaches..." Riley trails off and Maya mumbles, "you have a really nice stomach," which:  
a ) is  _totally_ not what Riley expected to hear, and  
b ) causes Riley's hands to fall to her stomach in embarrassment.   
"Well, you know, not  _really_ ," she begins, and Maya quirks an eyebrow. "Riley Eleanor Matthews. You've got a really nice stomach." Maya repeats, and she begins walking toward Riley with the beginnings of a smile playing on her lips. Riley can't help but smile back, and when Maya finally stands face to face with Riley, she slips their hands together. Their hands now rest, still intertwined, on Riley's stomach, and both girls are smiling, just standing there, looking at each other. Maya stands carefully on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to the corner of Riley's mouth, and both of them pause like that, breathing in each other.  
"You know, honey, you should keep that flannel. It suits you." Maya murmurs, and Riley beams. 


End file.
